THE LORD MAYOR’S SOUP.
Wash thoroughly two sets of moderate sized pigs’ ears and feet from which the hair has been carefully removed; add to them five quarts of cold water, and stew them very gently with a faggot of savoury herbs, and one large onion stuck with a dozen cloves, for nearly four hours, when the ears may be lifted out; stew the feet for another hour, then take them up, strain the soup, and set it in a cool place that it may become cold enough for the fat to be quite cleared from it. Next, bone the ears and feet, cut the flesh down into dice, throw a clean folded cloth over it, and leave it so until the soup requires to be prepared for table; then strew upon it two tablespoonsful of savoury herbs minced small, half a saltspoonful of cayenne, a little white pepper, and some salt. Put into a large saucepan half a pound of good butter, and when it begins to simmer thicken it gradually with as much flour as it will absorb; keep these stirred over a very gentle fire for ten minutes or more, but do not allow them to take the slightest colour; pour the soup to them by degrees, letting it boil up after each portion is added; put in the meat, and half a pint of sherry; simmer the whole from three to five minutes; dish the soup, and slip into it two or three dozens of delicately fried forcemeat-balls. (See Chapter VIII.)
Pigs’ feet, 8; ears, 4; water, 5 quarts; bunch savoury herbs; 1 large onion; cloves, 12: 3-1/2 to 4 hours, feet, 1 hour more. Butter, 1/2 lb.; flour, 6 oz.[25]: 10 to 12 minutes. Minced herbs, 2 tablespoonsful; cayenne and common pepper, each 1/2 saltspoonful; salt, 1/2 teaspoonful or more; sherry, 1/2 pint: 3 to 5 minutes. Forcemeat-balls, 2 to 3 dozens.
25. The safer plan for an inexperienced cook is to weigh the flour, and then to sprinkle it from a dredging-box into the butter.
Obs.—We have given this receipt with the slightest possible variation from the original, which we derived from a neighbourhood where 18the soup made by it was extremely popular. We have better adapted it to our own taste by the following alterations.